Zapatero and PSOE, chronicle of a desolation

MadridDescribing the PSOE's life these days is equivalent to writing the chronicle of a desolation. If it was already difficult to give full credit to the merely exculpatory initial statements of former government president José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, followed by more than two months of silence, his television appearance to give explanations has only worsened the situation, especially in the political arena. In the judicial sphere, it may be different, because there are other rules of the game. The defense will play the card of requesting the nullity of the proceedings strongly, based on procedural problems and guarantees of fundamental rights. Nor is it an easy battle, but Zapatero has an experienced lawyer in this regard, Víctor Moreno Catena. He is a professor of procedural law who, for six years (1988-1994), held high positions in the Ministry of the Interior, first as technical secretary general and later as undersecretary.

Surely the professional advice the former president received was to avoid exposing himself too much, as the strategies that the businessmen implicated as members of the influence peddling scheme would follow were not yet clearly defined. But Zapatero could not wait any longer. Those around him assure that he wanted to give explanations, and that he was held back by the need to verify what the lines of action of his old friends would be, especially Julio Martínez, who has ended up distancing himself with letters addressed to the judge, José Luis Calama, in which he states that the former socialist leader was at the head of the scheme and, in fact, the boss and the soul of the group. "He was the one who set the steps to follow," stated this businessman in his first confession document, later ratified during his corresponding declaration as an accused, but without specifying what steps the former president took.

The consultant's job

For the government and the PSOE, continuing to wait and see if it would blow over was reckless, as the headlines of recent days were all dedicated to the accounts of Zapatero's former associates, attributing the direction of the business to him. It was necessary to try to turn the situation around, to refocus attention. Nevertheless, the former prime minister acted with so many limitations that his appearance did not serve to clarify anything. Hence the alluded to anguish and desolation of the socialists.

There will always be someone among the PSOE militants who wants to believe their former leader, and accept that he simply did consulting work without pressuring any administration, neither in Spain, nor in Venezuela, nor in Bolivia, to obtain aid and subsidies. In short, it is what he can subsidiarily maintain in court, that he was paid for advisory work, and that he did not obtain direct benefits expressed in percentages of operations carried out through influence peddling.

It is obvious, however, that there is already a social majority convinced of the irregular nature of the plot's actions, an impression fueled, among other things, by the gaps in Zapatero's memory. We will see how far the supposedly criminal acts go, but it is striking that the former socialist leader does not clearly remember meetings or dinners that the judge considers key moments of the investigated events, such as the meal that allegedly took place at the Portonovo restaurant in Madrid on January 26, 2021. According to investigators, that meeting served for Zapatero to give "instructions" to create a company in Dubai, in order to collect outside of Spain the 1% commission of the 53 million euros from the rescue obtained by the airline Plus Ultra. An operation agreed upon by the aforementioned Julio Martínez with the airline.

This episode led to a curious dialogue with the judge. Calama wanted to emphasize the importance of the meeting and the chosen setting. For this reason, the instructor highlighted his knowledge of establishments where good business is done. "Well –said the magistrate to focus the matter–, it all starts at Portonovo, which, by the way, is a magnificent restaurant, and for those who don't know it, with very reasonable prices, despite being a seafood restaurant". For Zapatero –who said that the lunch "perhaps" took place, without being able to remember the attendees– what is relevant is to continue denying any relationship with the creation of a company offshore. He has done so in court and also in the televised interview with Javier Ruiz, who raised the necessary questions.

Felipe González's comment

Among the obligatory questions, the one that captured the malevolent comment by Felipe González, who said that Zapatero was incapable of financial engineering maneuvers, and therefore, of creating a society of this kind, must be understood as due to a lack of necessary knowledge. And here, to further fuel the desolation of PSOE veterans, the accused revolted against his predecessor, saying: “He will know about that.” And he added: “On that I agree with him, I have never thought, I have never looked into what an offshore is, and therefore I cannot create an offshore.”

But what the judge wanted was to obtain all the details about the famous lunch. Calama said it was “very important” to know who attended, without getting a precise answer from the accused. At this point, the instructor introduced irony into the dialogue. “I think – he said – that you should have seen if the meal took place with you or without you.” Zapatero replied: “I will check, don't worry, Your Honor, of course.”

A separate issue is the chapter on jewelry. The former president committed to explaining its origin. But he did not do so in the interview. He only said it was a “courtesy gift” with no patrimonial interest for him, and that “they were there,” in his safe, as if nothing. They have been valued at 1.3 million euros.

This matter hurts the PSOE like a bad wound. The Prosecutor's Office wants a definitive expert assessment. Let's see if Zapatero will ultimately pay criminally for the necklaces and bracelets. It is not surprising the climate of dejection at the last Congress plenary session, last Thursday, to close the term. The socialists admit the great loss of confidence this investigation represents. They cling to the hope that their voters will think again that the alternative of the PP and Vox is not the solution. But they say it without lifting their heads, looking at the ground.